The following "About South County" column ran in The Independent on January 2, 2025

The Independent (RI)2 Jan 2025
Bill Seymour covers news and feature stories throughout Southern Rhode Island. The views expressed in “About South County” are his own. He can be reached at independent.southcountylife@gmail.com.
BY BILL SEYMOUR

He was the people’s man in the firehouse.
That’s the most fitting way to describe Scott “fire-eater” Kettelle, who retired Tuesday as North Kingstown’s fire chief. A plain-spoken man with fire hoses — 2.5 inch, 1.5 inch, and booster lines —coursing through his body rather than veins.
The fire service in North Kingstown and beyond wasn’t just his profession, it was his heart, body, and soul.
Kettelle began his journey as a volunteer firefighter in August 1988 and was sworn in as chief in April 2016. Taking over during a tumultuous time, he stepped up with a commitment to restore trust and improve the department.
“I’m trying to get the Fire Department back on track with the dedication to provide the best service possible for the people of North Kingstown,” Kettelle said nearly nine years ago when he assumed the department’s highest leadership post.
I’ve interviewed Kettelle many times. We often talked about fires, putting them out, fire trucks, and the dangers of firefighting. In the early 1970s, I was a volunteer in Connecticut while in high school. The experience still resonates some 50 years later.
He shared his love for firefighting, discussing the dangers, the camaraderie, and the responsibility to protect.
Like many in emergency services, Kettelle understood the emotional weight of his work — saving not just lives but also homes, pets, and irreplaceable memories. It’s a gravity he carried with care.
It helped to make him a planner for disaster and avoidable loss, a trait carried through in his many contributions to the fire service statewide.
Take Block Island’s August 2023 unprecedented call for mutual aid off the coast of Rhode Island and a 60-minute wait for any fire truck to arrive to help.
Kettelle, along with many other Southern Rhode Island fire personnel, had done meticulous reviews for the previous eight months on potential responses. This island tourist spot — swelling in the summer from about 1,000 full-time residents to more than 30,000 people on any given day — is about an hour’s ride away by ferry for any fire truck.
A fall drill was planned, said Kettelle. It faced grandly out into picturesque Old Harbor. Then in August 2023, before any drills could happen, flames and smoke burst through the long-standing and historic Harborside Inn. Kettelle and other chiefs jumped into action.
His action also came through as president of the Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs. He oversaw the creation of muchneeded written entry-level testing for over 27 RI Fire and EMS departments.
His chairmanship of the RI Fire Education and Training Board helped to develop the RI Fire Academy.
Chief Richard A. Susi, association executive director, said, “Something that many people don’t realize is his role in the creation of the RI Firefighters Memorial at the RI Fire Academy. His goal of seeing this memorial created was realized when it was dedicated in 2019.”
“His fundraising efforts, personal contributions, both financial and providing physical labor and equipment, have made the RI Firefighters Memorial one of the most beautiful in the country,” Susi said.
“He actually found the large bell, rehabilitated it, and saw that it was installed in a free-standing structure, all at his own expense. That bell is dedicated to his service and generosity,” he said.
“Most of all, he is a kind and compassionate man who has served his community and RI’S fire service with honor and dignity,” Susi added.
South Kingstown Fire Chief Steven Pinch also praised Kettelle’s service.
“Chief Kettelle has always been a strong advocate for all of the fire departments in Rhode Island. From working to get new Pfas-free turnout gear for all of the firefighters in Rhode Island to playing a major role in the development of the State Fire Academy, he’s been a guiding force statewide,” he said.
“Chief Kettelle has always been available and willing to help with anything I needed. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to work with Chief Kettelle over the years. The most memorable was working with him at the multiple-alarm hotel fire on Block Island. He will be greatly missed,” he added.
Kettelle, while a man of the future, was a reverent observer of the past and those who dedicated their lives to firefighting.
In May, Kettelle and the rest of the North Kingstown Fire Department honored the late John Powell Burdick, who died in 1929 while responding to a fire. The retiring chief oversaw efforts to add Burdick’s name to the RI Firefighters Memorial’s Wall of Honor as North Kingstown’s first chief to die in the line of duty.
In addition, he has also known he needed to have the backs of his current firefighters, including their need for equipment and space. A drafty, leaking, dilapidated public safety complex wouldn’t do. He and Police Chief John Urban teamed up to get voter approval for a new and modern complex.
Their first effort met defeat because the North Kingstown Town Council tried some political shenanigans and tied it to approval of a controversial middle school. Voters saw through that misleading effort and gave the council its due — rejection of both.
Kettelle, however, remained undeterred. Two months ago, in a second town-wide vote after a year of revising plans, he championed and saw through the approval of a new complex and fire station. He was never a man to walk away from danger, defeat or dumb political maneuvering.
In emergency services, when you are gone, you’re never forgotten in the family. The bonds in life-altering work remain strong afterward. So it will be for Scott Kettelle.
Through the smoke and the heat, you remained steadfast and brave, Scott. You battled flames and saved lives, paraphrasing one prayer for firefighters. Now it’s time to enjoy the warmth of retirement. Remember that you carry the gratitude and respect of an entire community.
Thank you for your service.